No. 17 Boise State travels to Las Vegas for a Friday night marquee Mountain West showdown against UNLV on CBS Sports Network. This game carries massive implications for the College Football Playoff picture, as the Broncos are currently sitting in the driver's seat to claim one of the five automatic bids awarded to conference champions to the inaugural 12-team event.
Coming off a bye, Boise State knocked off Hawaii 28-7 in its most recent outing back on Oct. 12. The Broncos' lone loss came against No. 1 Oregon in Week 2. They have trailed just under 22 total minutes this season, which ranks fourth in the FBS behind Indiana, Army and Ole Miss.
UNLV also enters Week 9 with only one loss in nonconference play and could be the biggest challenger to Boise State for the MWC title. The Rebels are coming off a 33-25 win over Oregon State, their second consecutive victory after falling to Syracuse in overtime earlier this month.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Boise State's matchup against UNLV.
Boise State vs. UNLV: Need to know
CFP hopes on the line: The winner of this game will have the inside track to the Mountain West title game and potentially the CFP. UNLV, Boise State, Colorado State and San Diego State all enter Week 9 at 2-0 in conference play. UNLV has already notched wins over Kansas, Fresno State, Houston, and Oregon State. At No. 17, Boise State comes in as the highest-ranked Group of Five team in the AP poll.
Ashton Jeanty has been unstoppable: Jeanty is getting +250 betting odds to win the Heisman Trophy, according to Caesars Sportsbook. The budding superstar is trying to become the first running back to win the award since Alabama's Derrick Henry in 2015 and the first non-power conference player to do it since BYU's Ty Detmer in 1990. With 1,248 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground, Jeanty is on pace to challenge Barry Sanders' single-season rushing records in both categories. To say UNLV will build its defensive game plan around stopping Jeanty would be a huge understatement. The question is, will it matter?
UNLV is better with Hajj-Malik Williams: UNLV starting quarterback Matthew Sluka made major headliens when he announced he was stepping away from the program because of what he called unfulfilled NIL commitments. UNLV turned to Williams, and he's provided the spark they needed to stay in the CFP picture. Williams has thrown for 838 yards and 10 touchdowns and also has 390 yards and four scores on the ground. He will be UNLV's x-factor against Boise State.
How to watch Boise State vs. UNLV live
Date: Friday, Oct. 25 | Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Location: Allegiant Stadium -- Las Vegas
TV: CBS Sports Network | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
Boise State vs. UNLV prediction, picks
This game will come down to UNLV containing Jeanty, which no team has come close to doing so far this year. UNLV has the 20th-ranked run defense in the FBS (104.4 yards allowed per game), which will be the best unit (statistically) Jeanty has faced all year. Having a player of Jeanty's caliber makes all the difference in a coin-flip game like this one. Betting favorite Boise State wins this game and covers on the road, taking a big step toward a College Football Playoff berth in the process. Pick: Boise State -3.5
All odds via Caesars Sportsbook. Check out the latest Caesars promo code to get in the game.
